William e



(No Model.)

W. E. A. PIPHER.

SHAFT T UG.

Patented Oot. 1, 1895.

lilnirn Sterns nrnr einen,

WILLIAM E. A. PIPHER, OF PARKERS LANDING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFONEIHIRD TO SAMUEL CRAIG, OF SAME PLACE.

SHAFT-TUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,629, dated October1, 1895.

Application iiledl'annary 19, 1895. Serial No. 535,531. (No model.)

1"@ aZZ whom it may concern: the outwardly-inclined end or arm F, and

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. A. PIPHER, locks the thill in thecircular loop. The staa citizen of the United States, residing atPartionary member or section of the thillsup kers Landing, in the countyof Armstrong and porting loop conforms to the configuration of 55 5State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new the inner side face of thethill, and the springand useful Shaftflug, of which the followingactuated member or section conforms to the is a specification.conguration of the outer side face of the thill.

My invention relates to certain new and From the foregoing descriptionthe operauseful improvements in thill-tugs, and has for tion of myimprovement is obviously as fol- 6o lo its object to provide such adevice that will lows: The tugs being secured to the harness be simplein construction and at the same and in place on the horse the thills areeletime greatly facilitate the operation of hitchvvated and brought inproper position over ing a horse to a vehicle; and with these ends thehorse, and by lowering them they will in View my invention consists inthe details come in contact with the flared ends F of the 65 1r; ofconstruction and combination of elements tugs, and it is then onlynecessary to exert hereinafter described in the specification andsufficient pressure on the thills to overcome specifically set forth inthe claims, reference the resiliency of the springs D to force backbeing had to the accompanying drawings, the members F and allow thethills to drop fcrmingapart of this specification, in whichwithin theloops, where they will be retained 7o .zo Figure l is a perspective Viewof my device, by the spring-pressure and prevented from showing a thillin the act of entering the accidental upward movement by theprojecspring-guide. Fig. 2 is a similar view with tions G. the thi-ll inproper position within the sup- Bythe useof myimprovement the necessityporting-loop. of going from side to side ofthe horse in hitch 7 5 z5Similar letters of reference denote like parts ing is obviated, as thetugs automatically rein both the figures of the drawings. ceive andretain the thills by the downward The device, as shown, is made of asingle movement of the latter, and when thus in piece of wire, which isbent in such manner place the thills are held snugly bythe springas toform the several members or sections pressure. 8o

3o thereof. The two ends are bent inloops A On account of the simplicityof tugs made around the eye of the buckle B, by which the in accordancewith my invention they have device is attached to the back-band of theharbeen found to be very durable, as there is no ness, and from thencethe two wires extend undue strain or wear on any portion thereof,downward parallel inacompound curve, formand they will outwear manytimes the ordi- 85 35 ing the back O of the supporting-loop. The narytugs.

wires are then coiled to form the springs D IVhile I have shown mydevice made of one and extend upward,forming the front or outer piece ofwire, it is obvious that it could be sideEof the supporting-loopanduterminating formed of two or more parts without departin a flaredend F, for the purpose presently exing from my invention. 9o

4o plained. The free ends of the wires, after Changes in the form,proportion, and the forming the loops A, extend downward and minordetails of construction may be resorted terminate in a projection G,closing the space to Without departing from the principle or at the topof the supporting-loop. The girthsacrificing any of the advantages ofthis instrap H is secured to the tug by means of an vention. 9

45 ordinary ring or link I, passing through the Having fully describedthe invention, what coils of the springs D. I claim as new and usefulis- The end or armFis outwardly and upwardly l. In a thill tug, thecombination with a inclined, being arranged at an angle to the girthstrap, of a circular thill supporting loop extensions A, which havekunokle-receiving conforming to the configuration of and adaptroo 5oeyes, and the retaining projection Gis located ed to receive a thill,and composed of a staat the angle formed by the extensions A and tionarysection or member having a semi-circular portion and forming one half ofsaid loop, a spring actuated section or member similarly curved andforming the other half of the loop and provided at its top with theoutwardly inclined end or arm, a connecting spring coil arranged at thebottom of the sections or members, and forming an eye for the attachmentof the girth strap, and a retaining projection formed on one of thesections and located at the top or entrance of the loop and closing thesaine to lock a thill therein, and a buckle arranged at the top of thestationary section or member and connected with the same, substantiallyas described.

2. In a thill tug, the combination with a girth strap, of a circularthill supportingloop constructed of a single piece of Wire and composedof a stationary section or member curved and forming one half of theloop, and conforming to the configuration of the inner face of a thilland provided at its top with cxtensions having buckle receiving eyes, asimilarly curved spring actuated section or member forming the otherhalf of the loop and conforming to the configuration of the outer sideof a thill and provided at its top with an outwardly inclined end or armarranged at an angle to the said extensions and forming an entranceloop, the retaining projection located at the angle formed by theextensions and the arm and closing the loop at the top thereof, to locl;the thill therein, and a spring coil arranged at the bottom of the loopand connecting the members or sections and forming an eye for theattachment of the girth strap, and a buckle linked into the eyes of saidextensions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WM. E. A. PIPIIER. Witnesses:

ISAAC MILLER, W. G. MCGLAUGHLIN.

